Prime Minister Erdoğan said that he was prepared to face the consequences if the Turkish military ends up launching an operation against the PKK in Northern Iraq, while emphasizing that there is no need for Turkey to seek permission.

Nobody obtained any permission to hit Iraq, coming from tens of thousands of kilometres away, he said, in reference to the 2003 American invasion that toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein. Erdoğan has also questioned America's commitment to fighting PKK terrorism.

I condemn the Wests statement beginning, "We declare the PKK a terrorist organisation, but... he said. "Thirty people have fallen prey to PKK terrorism within the last month. These people have no wish to be humane. There should be no buts' about the matter."